Be One Of Us
by Shattered Celery
Summary: Draco, Blaise and Theo approach a certain red head with an interesting offer. And who is she to refuse? (Originally a one-shot, now expanded into a short story! Complete!)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Harry Potter. This idea has kinda been kicking around in my brain for a while now, and I've worked on it the last few days. Please, give me your honest opinions. :) I know it isn't the best, but I'm working on my writing. This might turn into a three-shot, but for now, it's done.

* * *

The castle got lonely sometimes. It was odd to think about, Hogwarts, filled with hundreds of people, getting lonely. But it did. Just as her house did, even when all six of her brothers still lived at home. She guessed it had something to do with all her self isolation. Like tonight, sitting out by the lake. The water lapped against the shore, a soft beating drum to her ears. And even though it was past curfew, she still sat, with her arms wrapped around her legs, watching the water. Even when the world was falling apart, the water stayed steady. It came, and it went, but it stayed in the lake, always there, always a constant in her life. Just like Hogwarts. Even with the outside world being ravished, Voldemort raising Hell, the Carrows inside the castle, the castle itself remained the same.

It hadn't felt too bad until recently. Maybe it had something to do with the holiday's; no one had been able to return home, and it wasn't festive as normal. There were no beautiful Christmas trees, no real presents, the Feast wasn't as grand as normal, and there was no Dumbledore there to bring the merry-ness that he always did. The other teachers tried their best, but there was only so much they could do without risking their jobs, and ability to remain there for the students.. Maybe her parents had been right. Maybe she should've stayed home..

"Well well well.. What do we have here?" _Fuck._ She'd know that voice anywhere, the slow drawl, contempt dripping off of every word. It was the 'esteemed' Head Boy, the Slytherin King, probably with some of his cronies. Slowly raising her eyes from the water while simultaneously swiveling to face his voice, Ginny quickly took the scene in.

There, standing center, was of course Draco Malfoy. Tall, lean, with muscles formed over the years of intense quidditch training. His blonde hair was longer than usual, though still slicked mostly to the side, and his eyes. The molten gray was intense, inspecting her as well. There was no way he could've known it was her; she was wearing a new black cloak from the twins, with the hood up hiding her vibrant hair. Behind him on his left was Theodore Nott, more commonly known as Theo. He was slightly shorter than Malfoy, but much thicker, with strong muscles, almost like Crabbe and Goyle - but from what she'd heard, he actually had a head on his shoulders. On his right was Blaise Zabini, who was almost a dark version of Draco; tall and lanky, though his hair was shorter and he had more of a 'pretty boy' look, instead of the sharp, pointed 'handsomeness' that all the girls saw in Draco.

Slowly rising, her hand drifted towards her wand, which was at this point in her life almost permanently strapped to her thigh, only to be stopped by a decisive snort. "Don't even think about it, Weaslette." His voice was smooth, deep and slow, and Ginny's chocolate eyes met Theo's green ones.

"Why are you out here alone, hm? And _where_ did you get this cloak.. There's no way your mother could have afforded it." With a wrinkle of her nose, she switched her eyes to Draco as he moved closer, reaching out to pinch the fabric between his long fingers.

"Fred and George gave it to me for Christmas. Are you done insulting me, or are you going to drag me to the Carrows' so I can hear it from them as well?"

Stepping back with a jerk of her shoulder, Ginny let out a frustrated noise when she stepped into the water, quickly moving to the side and farther up the coast of the lake until the four were standing parallel to it, her wand now firmly gripped in her hand having shot of drying spell towards her shoes, not fancying the idea of walking around with the freezing water soaking through.

"I won't take you to the Carrows." Draco finally broke the silence, and Ginny couldn't help the hope from brightening her eyes, though she quickly shut it down. There was a catch. There's always a catch with this crew, she'd seen it in action constantly over the last six years. And so, she asked. There was no way she'd willingly jump into .. whatever it was they wanted, without first finding out what it was they wanted.

And the answer, coming from Blaise, who'd thus far been quiet, made Ginny raise an eyebrow, staring at him with an incredulous look on her face. ' _Be one of us. Just for the night.'_ .. What does that even mean? _What do they want from me?_ She kept her eyes trained on them, though they flicked back and forth among the three of them. There was no way to tell what exactly it was they wanted; but she was in no position to turn them down. Not when it was them, or the Carrows.

".. Why not?" Her answer was timid, and she slowly returned her wand to her thigh, strapping it back in quickly with the ease of someone who'd done it thousands of times.

"Perfect."

"I knew you'd see it our way."

"Let's go."

What did I get myself into?!

The thoughts swarmed her mind as Draco slid up on one side of her, Blaise on the other, guiding her back towards the castle. _This isn't going to end well. Ginny, Ginny how could you be so stupid?_ _What were you thinking? Why would you do that?_ The thoughts swarmed her mind as she nervously smiled, letting out little agreeable noises where fit in the conversation. And before long, they were standing in front of a set of double doors, and Draco stepped forward, holding onto both handles and drawling out a slow, " _Aldhibah._ "

As the doors swung open, Ginny couldn't help it as her mouth fell open. The first room was open, with a large fireplace, with a large, comfy looking silver couch facing it. There were a few beanbags around it, green, and drapes were all over the wall, spaced out with flaming torches and small tables scattered throughout the room. All in all, it had a very Slytherin-vibe, right down to the bottles of Firewhisky and other alcoholic beverages, including but not limited to Giggle Water, rum, tequila, and different meads and brandys. Raising her eyebrows with a snort, Ginny continued to survey the room. On either side there were two more sets of double doors, both were firmly closed though, so who knew what were behind them, though she guessed one lead to Draco's room; she had no idea what the other set led to though. Slowly taking off her cloak, she carefully hung it on the rack near the door, and unknown to her, Draco took in her appearance with a low, appreciative whistle. She had on a pair of white jeans that hugged her in all the right places, paired with a loose, dark green pullover that hung off a shoulder and a pair of black boots that went halfway up her calves. All in all it was a simple, but together it worked for her.

Especially that green.

The rest had already shed their cloaks and made the way over to the couches, Draco shooting a quick spell at the low fire to bring it back up to full power. Slowly wandering over, Ginny flopped herself down into a bean bag, turning to the pale git himself with a small smirk. "So, this is what the Head Boy's common room looks like. Is the Firewhisky provided, or did you sneak that in yourself?"

Blaise's snort broke not only his calm composure, but most of the tension also. "Come on, Weaslette. Being Head Boy is _very_ stressful. No one can blame dear Drake here for.. _Indulging_." The double entendre in his words was clear, and even caused her to crack a small grin.

"Oh, you'd know _all_ about that, wouldn't you, Zabini?" His hand shot to his heart, mouth dropping open slightly. He slowly rose to his feet, making his way to the alcohol, hooking four mugs onto his fingers and grabbing a bottle of Ogden's firewhisky. "I would _never_. Theo over here however.." Making his way back, he quickly poured the four glasses, and Ginny watched, slowly downing the drink. Throughout the night, Ginny slowly toed off her shoes, kicking them towards the door and steadily working on becoming absolutely smashed.

Ginny wasn't sure what Blaise had meant by 'being one of us for the night', but she damn sure didn't expect to wake up the next morning in a feathery-soft bed, wrapped up in a blanket, missing her pants with an arm over her waist. And she didn't know what would happen from here, but she also knew that last night had felt right in a way she couldn't describe.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, shit it's gonna be a three-shot. Short little in-between to set up for the third and final chapter. It came to me at work today, and wouldn't not be written. So.. I hope you enjoy, and I'm planning on getting the last installment up.. maybe tonight, probably not tomorrow but Sunday at the latest! Enjoy, and please review! They mean the world to me. 

* * *

There he was; across the hall, a dark streak across his face and a look she had never seen on his face before. It was more than fear, he was terrified and it shone in his stormy eyes. His shirt was ripped, and a wand that wasn't his own was clutched in his hand as he shot curse after curse off; she couldn't tell who he was attacking though.

Until his eyes snapped to meet hers. All of a sudden, in seconds, she felt herself reliving all of their interactions since that fateful night not even five months prior.

 _The day after at dinner, when while Ginny had avoided breakfast and lunch, Lavender had damn near dragged her down to the Great Hall, insisting Ron would want Gin to eat. About halfway through, she couldn't resist anymore, and her eyes flicked up - to see his trained on her._

 _Three days later, Gin was dragged, kicking and cursing into Snape's office by a Carrow, for 'talking back' … when in reality, all she'd done was_ question _an extremely horrid spell in 'Defense Against' the Dark Arts. Draco had been talking to Snape at the time, and though he was quickly dismissed, he still saw the dark circles under her eyes and the way she favored her left side, along with the purpling bruise peeping out from the bottom of her shirt, which had become untucked during the struggle._

 _A few weeks later, Ginny was smiling at the boy next to her, a Ravenclaw of her year in Potions as she chopped up a white root for the potion. She'd looked up just in time to see Draco give Slughorn a note then leave, and she just barely missed the flash of jealousy gleaming in his eyes._

 _The night she had detention and he was supervising. The Carrows', the other Slytherin's, they always took the chance to practice Dark Spells.. He didn't do that, he didn't say anything. All he did was give her lines to write then let her go. No more than ten words were exchanged; but it was definitely a welcome change of pace._

 _She'd gone out for a ride, and as she shot across the Quidditch pitch, she just happened to look over and see him sitting in the stands, blank-faced but his eyes trained on her._

 _Her, Neville and Luna were out painting the castle; Dumbledore's Army, Screw Lord Voldemort, Snape Sucks… they heard someone approaching. Ginny sent Neville and Luna off while she finished up, and when he rounded the corner… he shook his head. Paused to read it. Then kept walking._

 _Random, daily sightings and encounters where they ducked around each other, never saying anything and avoiding each other when possible all flashed through her mind. Hundreds of snapshots, all replaying before her in seconds. And when she snapped out of it? He was right in front of her._

"Ginny. Please. Please go hide. Stay safe. Please." He'd gripped her upper arm with his free hand, his wand hand sustaining a shield spell that they both knew wouldn't last long as leaned close and whispered the words in her ears. "Please stay safe Gin." He was gone soon after that, leaving her to stare after him.. But only for a second, and then she was thrown back into the fray, unable to get his pleading words, the desperation in his voice out of her mind..


	3. Chapter 3

The yells had stopped now. In the aftermath of the battle, the silence was deafening. The last place to remain loud, filled with people talking was the Great Hall, where the dead were still being gathered and the wounded treated.

 _Fred._ Her big brother, always there for her, making her laugh and cry and tormenting her while also protecting her. He'd always been there, always been someone she could turn to. And now? Now he was gone.

She wouldn't hear his laugh again.

She wouldn't see that smile that brightened the room again.

She wouldn't be able to see him and George try to confuse everyone about which was which again.

She wouldn't feel the warmth of his hug again.

 _Tonks._ She'd always been so nice to her, like the big sister she'd never had. Tonks had given her advice with boys, had given her someone safe to talk to about her fears and worries about Harry while Hermione was gone, because she understood. She understood because she was going through a similar situation. She'd recently given birth, and he was precious. An absolute treasure, perfect in every way.

And now he was going to grow up without any parents.

 _Remus_. Her first real Defense teacher, because let's be honest, Lockhart was a joke. He'd taught her so much, both during her second year of school and after. He'd helped Bill after what had happened the previous year, and had been a steady figure in her life for the last two, three years.

 _Colin_. The boy had grown to be a close friend of hers. And now he was gone. He had stopped being the annoying boy who just wanted to know everything about Harry Potter. Instead, he was a great friend, always there for Ginny to talk to, and while he still always had his camera, he'd begun taking pictures of everything and was working to be a real photographer. And now he wouldn't be anything at all, just another name in the list of the fallen.

None of them would be anything.

Their bravery would be noted.

But that means nothing, absolutely nothing because they were all _gone_. Being honored for their bravery? Being honored for fighting, for giving their lives to stop Voldemort? Yes, they stopped him. Yes, Voldemort died. But at what cost?

 _What's the death of a few to stop the deaths of many?_ The words, mentioned in passing years ago crossed her mind. But that's bullshit. There is no acceptable casualties in life. Only in war, and this was war. And many paid with their lives.. Too many.

"Ginny?" The soft voice, even deeper than usual, cut through her thoughts and caused her to look up, instinctively gripping her wand tighter and staring at the pale boy just a few feet from her. The last time she'd seen him, he had a black mark on his face -which she now realized was _soot_?-, there was a rip in his shirt, and he overall had just been a disheveled mess. He was still a mess, and now he had blood and something.. Green? Yellow? Both staining his white shirt, which had a few new rips and holes in it. He couldn't be here though. _He shouldn't be here! He needs to be at the Great Hall, show the Order he wasn't running, wasn't hiding... he couldn't be here!_

"They're going to think you've ran away. Why are you here, Draco?" Her voice cracked partway through his name; she couldn't do this. Not now, not with him..

"I came looking for you."

Five words, five simple words, meaningless really. Except he said that. _Him_. Draco Lucius Malfoy. The boy who'd haunted her thoughts and dreams for the last 5 months. The one who had begged her to hide, to stay safe. And now here he was, standing in front of her again, though this time he was much more wary; there was no telling how she'd react, even she herself didn't know. And finally, she just dropped her head down onto her knees, with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. Within a matter of seconds, he'd sat beside her and pulled her close into his side, and she turned into his warmth, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his side.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there, Draco rubbing circles into her back, but after a while, Ginny drew back, pulling away from his warmth

"We need to go back."

Her words were soft, and when he looked over at her, he noticed a wetness welling in her eyes.

"Gin. Hey, it's okay. Oh, please don't cry. It makes me uncomfortable.." And that uncomfortableness was clear as he looked at her; she could see is plain as day in his eyes, and she couldn't help but smile, even if it only lasted a few seconds. She was soon reaching for one of his hands and intertwining their fingers. "I'll try to hold back the waterworks around you. But we really should be getting back."

The blonde smirked slightly, using his thumb to brush away her tears and pulling her close, sliding his legs under hers and holding her to him. "Come on, Gin. We don't have to go yet.." His voice was deep, soft, and as his fingers trailed down her leg, she let a small grin cross her face, and before long, the war, the deaths, the devastation the castle had just received, the crimes of the man on top of her had all drifted away as she focused solely on him.

* * *

Ron would be pissed. Harry would be devastated. Her mum wouldn't understand. Her dad wouldn't either. No one would. But his hand in hers felt right in a way she couldn't explain as they made their way back to the Great Hall, quickly separating once inside and returning to their own families, neither of them knowing that by doing so, they wouldn't see each other


	4. Chapter 4

For anyone following this story - I'm sorry for the wait. My life got turned upside down then kicked around a few times for good measure this past week and I've been a wreck. I did manage to get together chapter four for you though!

* * *

It took the Britain years to truly recover from Voldemort's rule, though Wizengamot took _much_ less time doling out punishments of the known Death Eater's and Voldemort sympathizers they'd been able to capture.

Draco Malfoy being one of them.

Lucius's trial had been short, simple, to the point. He was deemed guilty, without a doubt. However, despite that and all the evidence stacked against him, he got off without so much of a scratch, besides the absolutely tarnished Malfoy name, and a few hundred thousand gallons missing from his vault.

Narcissa was found innocent, due to her overall lack of fighting and her helping Harry in the final battle; even with her own self-serving reason for doing so.

Draco. Draco was given much of the same deal. Despite his efforts to kill Dumbledore, and the crimes he committed against others in his efforts.. Despite his role in the final battle, despite what he did at Hogwarts.. He was somehow, miraculously found innocent.

Much to the disgust of many, mind you. Ron and Harry wasted no time in loudly discussing their opinions, while Hermione was a little more reserved in doing so (at least around Ginny) after the first time the girl had stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

She'd been approached about it later. Hermione came up while she was sitting by the pond, skipping rocks and staring at the water, a habit she'd taken up not long after the fight. She questioned the girl on why she reacted the way she did, and before long.. The truth spilled out. The sloppy, drunken lovemaking session in the Head Boy's room in January when she gave him her virginity. How she slipped out of his bed before he woke up, taking nothing but her clothing and leaving her pride behind. How she avoided him as much as possible, but couldn't help seeing him. How he let her off the hook for things he got others for. How he begged her to stay safe in the middle of the battle.. His comforting words afterwards, how he hugged her close and brushed away the tears and eventually gave her something better to think about.. How she hadn't seen him since, only heard news about him through the Daily Prophet, Harry, Ron and Hermione herself.

Before long, she was crying again, the tears streaming silently down her cheeks while her best friend wrapped an arm around her and just listened, making soothing sounds when appropriate. Not long after, they both made their way back to the house, and while neither of them mentioned it.. a few days later, when Hermione approached Ginny with an interesting offer.

"Molly said we could go to Diagon Alley, just you and I, visit George and.. Lee, check out the joke shop, go get lunch and see how the repairs are going. Do you want to go?" _Go to Diagon Alley? Practically alone? No escort from the Ministry to breathe down her neck, no Ron and Harry complaining about Draco? No Percy, who despite his efforts, was still too uptight to make being around comfortable? No Fleur flitting around, no over-protective Charlie? No parents?  
_ "Is that even a question, Mione?!" A grin broke out across her face, and Ginny quickly threw together an outfit; jean muggle shorts that were a dark blue, paired with a flowy white shirt, cinched together between the shoulder blades, the sides longer than the front and back. "Let's go!"

* * *

It was so different. Ginny still remembered her trip to Diagon Alley after turning 11, the joy, the wonder, getting fitted for robes. The alley had been packed; people were everywhere, children of all ages running around. There was laughter, smiles. People talked to each other; they stood around, letting their children play together.

This trip was a completely different story.

As Ginny and Hermione reached the alley, while all the repairs had long since been completed, people still hurried, heads down and children's hands clasped firmly in theirs. It was habit, she supposed. _It'll return to normal soon. It will._ And so, she walked. On and on with Hermione, with no set destination in mind yet. Instead, they wandered through the alley, going into whatever shop they fancied.

When Hermione went to Flourish and Blotts though, Ginny wandered off, making her way down to Quality Quidditch Supplies. They had recently released a new broom, the Lightning Strike. The handle was made out of a beautiful golden color, with a fine tale of finely combed black twigs, the words Lightning Strike along the top in a black cursive. There was no way she'd ever be able to get it, but a girl could dream, couldn't she?

"So, the littlest Weasel has expensive taste.. It is a rather good broom if I do say so myself." The voice was almost mocking, but not quite and Gin quickly spun around, finding herself toe to toe with one Mr. Blaise Zabani. Taking a quick step back, she reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, scanning the area around them.

"You _would_ have the newest, fastest model. Always trying to one-up everyone else, aren't you?"

"I'm not alone in doing so, Ginevra. Drake and I have a good amount of fun riding together."

The mention of _his_ name had an instant effect on the girl, one that despite her best efforts to hide it - _Stop it, Gin! Stop it! He can't know! Unless he already does..? Stop it! Drake would never tell!_ \- "He's around here somewhere, you know. Seems a little birdie asked him to come to the alley today, had a pretty convincing argument too. He hasn't left his home since he was cleared and returned his wand. I guess you being here explains it." __

 _Someone told him to come today? For what? …. Hermione._ A small grin spread across the red head's face, and before long, the pair were walking down to Florean's. After the war, a close friend had taken over the shop, keeping the name the same in honor of the owner before him. Blaise left Ginny at the door, with a whispered warning to be nice to Drake before he all but disappeared into nothing. Shaking her head, Gin stepping into the warm shop with a smile while her eyes searched the parlor - and she quickly zoned in on the pale head of hair, facing away from the door, a bowl with chocolate ice cream before him. After she got her own, mint chocolate chip, Ginny sat down across from the boy after a polite, "Is this seat taken?" and a small, guarded smile at the boy who'd wrecked her heart.. But he was here. He was here, thanks to Hermione's genius.

"It is now." He returned the smile, and they slowly began to talk over the ice cream. About the war, the trial, the deaths they'd both suffered. They talked about Harry, they talked about Hermione. His mum and hers. Talking to him wasn't like talking to her family; they all treated certain subjects like fractured glass that could shatter with even one wrong word; he just talked. They joked, they were serious. The only subject they didn't address was _them_. If there even was a them, as they played footsie under the table and talked in a way neither of them had in months, maybe even years.

Once they'd finished eating, they returned the bowls and walked down the alley, to where they was a park; it was new, and there was a memorial spot near the middle of the park, where they looped the perimeter in circles. Before long, they had begun holding hands. Ginny had heard a few camera shutters, and while it didn't bug her, every time Draco heard one, his hand instinctively tightened, then loosened as she rubbed small circles onto his skin with her thumb. It was nice, so inexplicably nice to just have a conversation where she didn't have to censor herself, where she wasn't being treated like glass that would break at the first sign of something traumatic.

"I'm who your mother warned you about, Ginny." The words came out of nowhere; they'd been quiet, just holding hands.. Then.. _what just happened? Where-?_

"And I mean that literally, I'm sure. There is no way she _didn't_ warn you about me. I'm bad news, Gin. I'm a Malfoy. My name is tarnished, my family home isn't what it used to be. And despite Mother's claims, we are nowhere as wealthy as we used to be. I can't give you the life you deserve Gin. The life you could have with anyone else.. I'm bad, I'm bad for you, I'm bad to be around.. There's always going to be people who want to hurt me for what I did, for what my father did. Depending on what side they're on, they could hurt you also in retaliation. It's not worth it Gin.. please, please just.. Let it go."

"So I'm not worth it?" The words came quick, almost as quickly as she'd jerked her hand from his and turned to glare at him. "Do you think I care about your family name? You are _Draco_. Not _Malfoy_. You are more than your name. And if you think _money_ , of all things, matters to me, you are _wrong!_ I don't _want_ anyone else, Drake. You're right, I could go marry Harry, be crowned next to him as saviors of the wizarding world, but I don't _want_ that! I want _you_ , Draco. But if I'm not worth-" Suddenly, there were lips on hers.

His hot lips on hers, hands on her hips, pulling her flush to his body. One hand made it's way up to the nape of her neck, where he slowly twisted his fingers into her hair, tugging her head back as he slowly walked forward, and before she knew what was happening, there was a tree behind her and she was holding onto him as though she was drowning and he was the only way to survive.. And that's what it felt like.

As though the last seven months she'd been drowning without him, after that first true meeting between the two of them. And he'd given her short gasps of breaths here and there.. And now she was floating high again, with _him_. "Drake." Her breath was ragged, and as she stared up into his eyes, she ran her thumb over his cheekbones.

"You're worth everything."


End file.
